


Souyo Week 2020: What's the Weather?

by FlowerladyAerith



Category: Persona 4, Persona Series
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Boys Kissing, Canon Universe, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Makeouts, Mild Angst, Romance, Sexual Tension, Some hurt/comfort, Souyo Week 2020, Suggestive Themes, Topsicle Licking, sexual innuendo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-21
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:28:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,002
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24843049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FlowerladyAerith/pseuds/FlowerladyAerith
Summary: A Collection of shorts, not-connected, but centered around Yu and Yosuke for Souyo Week 2020 and aligned with the weather prompts. There will be plenty of pre-relationship, love confessions (honestly, it's mostly love confessions, whoops!), and fluff to go around.Day 1: CloudyDay 2: SunnyDay 3: WindyDay 4: RainyDay 5: SnowyDay 6: StormyDay 7: Foggy
Relationships: Hanamura Yosuke/Narukami Yu, Hanamura Yosuke/Persona 4 Protagonist, Hanamura Yosuke/Seta Souji
Comments: 46
Kudos: 99
Collections: Souyoweek 2020





	1. Cloudy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Full disclaimer here, I have never written any fanfiction for Persona (though, I've wanted to try for a while) and I have never written for a ship that wasn't het either (though, I've also wanted to). I hope that this will be enjoyable, and I do appreciate any feedback that you'd give me. It's been a while since I posted something I've written online so I'm a bit nervous. This is also not beta-read, so, hopefully you won't see any jarring errors! Disclaimer end. 
> 
> Hi, I'm Aerith and I love Souyo and I'm so excited to be able to do something for the ship this year! Most of these are going to take place in the game universe, with the exception of one. I pulled a bunch of cheesy cliches, but hopefully that won't make them any less fun to read. Please enjoy!
> 
> ~
> 
> Cloudy: In which, Yu is given an opportunity at the culture festival that he cannot resist.

Their class was hosting a group date café. Well, they were _supposed_ to be hosting a group date café. What was actually happening could hardly be called a ‘café’. Yu, Yosuke, Yukiko, and Chie lazed about the room listlessly. The only student that had come by had been Rise and she had turned tail and left quickly. Given the total silence in the hall, they doubted anyone else would come by. Even their class rep had abandoned his post with a promise that he’d return after he “ran to the restroom real quick”.

Yu rested against the wall, leaning on his side so he could look out the window. It was calming to him to be able to watch people bustle around the stalls set up outside. He hadn’t been sure what to expect from the culture festival at Yasogami, but even though he was stuck in the classroom he was enjoying himself.

The one hiccup to the afternoon was the atmosphere. The four of them had been unable to create an enticing or romantic mood, which left Yu with his own imagination. He couldn’t claim to have ever wanted to go on a group date, but there was one person he’d be willing to go on a date with. His eyes, subtle as always, zeroed in on Yosuke. He was standing in front of the chalkboard working through different phrases he could write that might inspire participation. He’d submitted the suggestion as a gag, and now felt responsible for trying to garner some success. Yu watched as he stood, posture shifted to one hip, as he tapped his foot against the floor to a rhythm only he could hear. Yosuke groaned, running a hand through his brown locks. He turned his head to meet Yu’s eyes. At first, he looked a bit startled but then he crossed his arms and flicked his head toward the board as a signal for Yu to come over.

“Partner, tell me what you think of this.”

Yu was more than happy to acquiesce to his desires. In his head he skipped over, but in reality, he shuffled awkwardly until he was standing next to Yosuke, hands itching to touch anywhere the brunette would let him. Yes, he had it bad for Yosuke. So much so that it was unbearable at times. Yosuke _loved_ to hang all over him, and Yu desperately wanted to turn one of his arm-over-the-shoulder hugs or hip bumps into a warm embrace and a kiss. The idea made his heart flutter. _Oh, Yosuke…_

“Earth to Partner!” Yosuke called, lightly rapping Yu atop his head. “What do you think?”

Yu quickly read the message. Yosuke had written ‘Welcome to the Café! Come in alone and leave in love!’ Yu snorted a bit, chuckling at the cheesiness of it. “It certainly creates a mood,” Yu responded, turning his head to see how adorably Yosuke was pouting.

“You have a better idea?” he whined, arms still crossed against his chest.

Yu shook his head. “No, I think this good enough.”

As if on cue, Yosuke bumped his hip against his. “Just good enough?” he teased. Yosuke smiled at him and Yu was blinded by its brightness. He wanted nothing more than to seize Yosuke’s face for his own and kiss him until they both ran out of air. Instead, Yu controlled himself, took in a deep breath, and returned Yosuke’s sunshine with a soft gaze. He was truly hopeless. There would never be a situation in which Yosuke could return his feelings. Yosuke had been excessively vocal about how straight he was and how attracted he was to women. His assertions had only increased after the run in Kanji’s dungeon and even now–

“’Sup. What’s going on in here?” Speak of the devil. Kanji entered the room, still wearing his uniform incorrectly despite Yu’s reminders. Kanji looked as confused as all of them had felt for the past hour. “Isn’t this supposed to be a café? How come nobody’s here?”

Chie groaned, head flat on one of the desks. “Don’t remind us.”

Yukiko was quick to join her side and place a hand on Chie’s shoulder. “Who knew no one in Yasogami was interested in dating?” she concluded with surprise, “I guess everyone must already be partnered.”

Kanji grimaced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Somehow, I don’t think that’s the reason…”

Yosuke soon jumped into the conversation and Yu was left with his thoughts again. He watched Yosuke, unable to tear his eyes away from him. He was drawn to his stance, to the passion in his voice, and to his dedication. However, what made him realize his feelings was none of those things. It was Nanako.

It’d been a cloudy day. One that had started off as unremarkable, but would now forever be stamped onto Yu’s heart. Yosuke had asked to hang out and Yu had agreed, on the condition they would spend time together at the Dojima house so Nanako wasn’t alone. Yosuke’s enthusiasm had doubled at the thought of getting to spend time with Yu’s younger cousin.

When they arrived at the home, Nanako was already there watching TV. Upon hearing the door, she stood and hurried over. “Big bro!” she cried happily, “What are you doing home so early?”

Yu smiled down at her. “Yosuke and I have come to hang out with you.”

Nanako’s mouth dropped open, face lit up with innocent happiness. “Really?”

Before Yu could say more, Yosuke dropped down to Nanako’s height and grinned at her. “Yep! We also swung by Junes and brought some snacks.”

Nanako giggled, taking the bag of snacks Yosuke had produced from his bag. She sang the jingle proudly, “Everyday’s great at your Junes!” and Yosuke matched her pitch, joining along and taking one of her hands to spin her around. It was the cutest thing Yu had ever witnessed and it was in that moment, watching Yosuke laugh with Nanako that he knew he was in love. As they settled down in the living room to join Nanako in watching an episode of Loveline while coloring some of the pages of Nanako’s coloring book, Yu knew his heart had been stolen. He was utterly, deeply in love with Yosuke.

“Hey Narukami, what’s going on in here?”

Daisuke’s voice shook Yu from his pleasant memories. He watched as Yosuke and Kanji rushed over to Daisuke, instantly hurling comments about the group date café. Yu listened intently, excitement suddenly rushing through him. An opportunity he’d never expected had suddenly presented itself.

“But how are we supposed to do this with four guys?” Kanji questioned, voice gruff as ever.

“One of us will just have to take one for the team,” Yosuke answered with a chuckle.

Yu barreled across the room, practically knocking over the desks arranged against each other in his rush to sit down on the girl’s side. He didn’t miss the surprise on Yosuke’s face as their eyes met and Yu slipped into a demure persona. Yu batted his eyelashes and crossed his legs. “Wow! That was quick!” Yosuke gasped. He turned to Kanji and Daisuke. “I guess that settles it then.”

Yu was buzzing with energy as everyone took their seats. He was not going to mess this up. When else would he have a chance to openly flirt with Yosuke? Introductions came first, despite the fact that they all knew each other.

“Satonaka Chie, heh heh…” Chie looked away and rubbed the back of her neck.

“Amagi Yukiko. Um. Hello.” She waved, looking as uncertain as Chie.

“Narukami Yu.” He spoke in a voice much higher than normal and tried to look cute as he dipped his head down a bit to look up through his bangs at Yosuke. Yosuke gaped at him, unable to stop the exclamation of, “Dude!”

“Nagase Daisuke.” He wore a flat expression and slouched a bit in his chair. Yu thought it was fitting. He was pretty sure Daisuke only had eyes for Kou, anyway.

“Uh-Tatsumi Kanji…” Yu nearly laughed at how embarrassed Kanji looked. His face was lit up like a pink balloon with bleached hair.

“Hanamura Yosuke.” Yu smiled softly, twirling a piece of his gray hair. Yosuke furrowed his brows, but did not respond.

The first two questions were innocent enough. Hobbies and what kind of girls the guys were interested in. Much to Yu’s disappointment, Yosuke did not provide much information in either. The third question, however, was exactly what Yu had been looking forward to.

Yosuke, still teasing Kanji about his interest in men (Yu had frowned a bit at this), turned to the girls and asked, “Which one of us would you want as a boyfriend?”

Chie immediately stammered, “W-What? How is that fair?” She looked about ready to jump from her chair and run out of the classroom.

Yukiko was equally as nervous. Hand clutched close to her chest, she stumbled around her words. “Well, that’s personal,” she practically whispered.

Both turned to Yu with pleading eyes. It was obvious they were hoping he would help them escape. Little did they know, Yu had an agenda all his own. He turned to Yosuke, looked him dead in the eyes, his own gaze filled with a mix of affection and expectation. Yosuke froze. For what felt like a sweet eternity, the two stared at each other as Yosuke’s face progressively became more red. Yu could feel his heart racing in his chest. ‘ _Please let my feelings reach him.’_

Yosuke, red in the face, suddenly jerked and jumped to his feet. “Aw hell no!” he shouted, looking as panicked as he had when they fought Kanji’s shadow. Yu’s heart lurched.

“Is something wrong?”

Yu honestly wasn’t sure who had asked. He could only look at Yosuke. “Something is _very_ wrong!” he cried, lifting his arms to hold himself. “I think I just went somewhere I can never come back from!” Their eyes met again and Yosuke practically squeaked. He jumped back again, knocking over his chair, and hurrying away from the tables. “I-I just need something to cool off,” he laughed to himself, as he searched the side of the classroom for a drink. “Didn’t you buy some drinks for us Chie?”

Chie hesitated. “I forgot,” she chuckled sheepishly. “Sorry!”

Yosuke stood again, spinning around, and robotically marching toward the classroom door. “I’ll just run to a vending machine then, uh…I’ll be…back!” Yu watched as Yosuke intentionally ignored his steady gaze and ran out of the room.

Yu felt his heart sink down into his stomach. The way Yosuke had looked before his panic…Yu was certain his feelings had reached him. However, it seemed that this was his way of rejecting them. He suddenly wasn’t in the mood to act cutesy anymore. It seemed no one was. By the time Yosuke returned to the classroom, Daisuke and Kanji were gone and Yu was helping the girls begin to pack things up. Yosuke helped, but he avoided Yu as much as possible until it was time to leave for the day.

The four stepped outside and Yu was shocked to see the once sunny sky suddenly filled with gray clouds. The sudden change in weather felt like a sign the universe was sad for him too. Yu waved goodbye to Yukiko and Chie and then turned to Yosuke who was fidgeting with the cord of his headphones. He sighed and mentally prepared himself for his broody walk home. Yu was certain he would be over the hurt tomorrow. After all, what else had he been expecting? He already knew Yosuke was incapable of returning his feelings.

“See you tomorrow, Yosuke,” Yu said, forcing a smile on his lips.

Yosuke looked at him with the expression of a child caught sneaking cookies, innocent and guilty all at once. “W-Wait. Partner, do you think we could talk for a bit?”

Yu paused, mind already navigating through all the possibilities of conversation. “Okay. Where?”

Yosuke tilted his head back toward the school. “Rooftop?”

Yu nodded and followed him back inside. The walk up the flights of stairs was silent and did nothing to soothe Yu’s worries. There was only one conversation he could imagine Yosuke wanting to have, and Yu was not sure he was adequately prepared to hear Yosuke assert how straight he was again.

Yosuke opened the door to the rooftop and held it open for Yu. They sat down where they usually did for lunch. Yu’s posture was stiff and small, and Yosuke was trembling with nervous energy. Yu braced himself for the blow.

“Partner, what was that?”

Yu inhaled sharply. He looked down at the hands wringing themselves in his lap. “What do you mean?”

He heard Yosuke shift. “The fake group date. You were acting like, well, like you liked me or something.” His voice was soft, perhaps softer than Yu had ever heard it.

Yu thought about his answer choices. Denial was the safest route so that was what he picked. “Well, I was pretending to be a girl. Sorry if I was too in character.”

“R-Right. You were in character.” Yosuke sighed heavily. “Of course.”

Yu dared lift his head to look at Yosuke and was surprised to see him looking so grim. He turned his body slightly so he could face Yosuke properly. “Did I upset you?” He asked carefully, voice laced with trepidation. The last thing he’d wanted to do was create a rift between them. He regretted ever acting so boldly. He should’ve stayed content with longing for Yosuke from afar.

“I wouldn’t say that,” Yosuke was quick to say. His lips tightened to a thin line. “I’m not sure how I’m feeling right now. It’s just that…when you looked at me after that question about who you would date that made me think about _things_.” Yosuke grimaced. “For a second, I was happy that you wanted me – ah! Sorry!”

Yosuke jumped up and waved his hands around. “That is, I don’t mean–! _Shit!_ ”

Yu joined him, stepping closer. His heart was racing once again. He could hardly breathe, but Yu didn’t want to. Breathing could wait. He wanted to hear what Yosuke was trying to say. “Yosuke?”

Yosuke met his eyes again and Yu could see the conflict in his brown irises. He was biting down on his lip now, nearing the level of panic he’d had in the classroom. “You’re special to me, Yu. You know that right?” Yu eagerly nodded in response. Something was blooming in his chest and he dared not think it was hope. “Yu, I wanted us to be equals, but really I think I…” Yosuke’s voice cracked. “I think I wanted you to _choose_ me.”

Yu scrunched his forehead. Yosuke wanted him to choose him? In what way? When? Yu thought he’d made it clear he would always choose Yosuke. There was no one that even _compared_ to Yosuke. He always wanted to hang out with Yosuke. He always chose Yosuke to be in the main party when exploring the TV world. He always found a way to visit Yosuke during his shifts at Junes. Whenever Yosuke called in need of an extra hand, Yu always cleared his schedule. Yosuke was the only member of the Investigation Team he had even invited over outside of their group gatherings. What more could Yosuke mean?

“I’m not sure I understand,” Yu confessed, hating the words as soon as he said them. He wanted to always understand Yosuke.

Yosuke suddenly lunged toward him and grabbed Yu by the collar of his uniform jacket. “Partner! Kiss me!” he demanded with the same energy he’d had when he asked Yu to punch him on the riverbank.

Yu was speechless. Absolutely speechless. His eyes were wide, and his mouth had fallen open. Yosuke only continued to stare him down with a look that was so determined it left him breathless. “Yosuke, what?”

“I said, _kiss me_!” Yosuke cried again, clamping his eyes shut as he did. “Just being acknowledged by you isn’t enough, so _please_! Please choose me.”

Yu nearly fainted. The edges of his sight darkened only to amplify Yosuke’s blushing face at the center of his tunneled vision. He supposed that was nothing new, though. Ever since he’d pulled Yosuke out of that trash can he’d only been able to see him. He sucked in a breath, raised his hands, and cupped Yosuke’s face.

This finally got Yosuke to open his eyes and Yu lost all his breath again. He’d never looked at Yosuke’s face so closely. He was close enough to see just how deep the brown of his irises were, and if it wasn’t so cloudy he’d bet they would have shined. Yu licked his lips unconsciously, drawing out another wordless, desperate plea from Yosuke.

“I’ll only choose you if you choose me,” Yu vowed, solemn and with barely concealed eagerness.

Yosuke’s expression softened. He seemed to melt in Yu’s hands. “It’s a deal.”

Yu inched his face closer, holding Yosuke still, as he placed the barest peck against Yosuke’s lips. The brief touch made him gasp as desire shot down his body as quick as a heartbeat. The feeling was better than any scenario he’d imagined between the two of them.

Yosuke’s eyes were glazed over and his lips were still slightly puckered. He didn’t bother to fix his expression when he cleared his throat and said, “You call that a kiss?” Yu didn’t even have a moment to blink before Yosuke he closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together. Yu breathed in deeply through his nose as their lips moved against each other. Yosuke’s lips were soft and sweet from the drink he’d had earlier. They broke apart again, but only temporarily. Yu kissed Yosuke, earning a cute squeak as their lips met for the third time. He’d never felt so tingly and good and warm inside.

They parted again, panting. Yosuke released Yu’s collar only to slip his arms around Yu’s waist and duck his head into Yu’s shoulder. He held Yu tightly, shaking his head. Yu pulled him closer, leaning into the urge to fuss over him. “Are you all right?” Yu questioned, ready to soothe him like a mother would their child.

Yosuke’s voice was muffled through Yu’s jacket, but he could still understand him. “I’m so sorry,” Yosuke whispered, “I’ve been such an ass and I don’t deserve you, but I can’t be without you, partner. I promise I’ll work hard and I’ll earn my place by your side. Okay?”

Yu chuckled, leaning back to force Yosuke to lift his head. He shook his head at him and cupped his chin. “You already have, Yosuke. And you’re forgiven. I know it won’t be easy, but that’s what partners are for, right? We’ll figure this out together.”

Yosuke nodded, determination returning to his gaze. “Yeah. Thank you, Yu.” He bit down on his bottom lip, cheeks turning rosy once more. “Um. Do you think we could kiss again before we go home?”

Yu smiled and answered in the high-pitched voice he’d used during the group date. “Of course, Hanamura-kun.”

Yosuke opened his mouth to complain and Yu sealed it again with his lips. He swallowed all of Yosuke’s laughter and then kissed him some more.


	2. Sunny

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunny: In which the sun is not the only reason Yosuke is flushed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As a warning, this chapter is highly suggestive and heavy with sexual innuendo. Please read responsibly. I've also updated the tags to convey this. 
> 
> I really had fun with this chapter. Messing with Yosuke is also something I delight in, tehe. I hope you enjoy!

It was hot. Absurdly hot, sunny, and without a cloud in the sky. Yosuke’s body was covered in a thin layer of sweat that clung to his skin like an uncomfortable sweater. He groaned and slouched further down into his chair in the Junes courtyard. The drink in his hand hardly did anything to cool him down.

Yu had called them together today with the intent to explore the TV world, but one look around the table had him looking hesitant. Chie and Yukiko were slumped over. Kanji was fanning himself with a homemade fan. He’d given his spare to Rise, who was somehow _still_ clinging to Yu (not that Yosuke was bitter about it or anything), as she complained about how hot it was. Teddie was threatening to unbutton his shirt, whining about how it was hard to keep his bear-tiful eyes open with all the sweat dripping down his forehead.

“Sensei!” Teddie whined, crawling over to the side Rise was not on. He grabbed Yu’s arm and shook it. “Have mercy!”

Yu winced and Yosuke felt bad for him. He wished he had the energy to speak up, but even he felt sluggish. “I haven’t even said anything,” Yu admitted, looking uncomfortable as both Rise and Teddie pulled at him. Yosuke could see the sheen of sweat on Yu’s brow and the way he tried to stop himself from panting from the heat.

Yu’s eyes suddenly met his and Yosuke, much to his horror, felt his face warm even more. Too embarrassed to do anything but gape at his partner, he watched as Yu gestured to the group with his eyes. A clear signal that screamed ‘Help!’

Unable to ignore the silent cries of his partner, Yosuke set aside his own discomfort and sat up in his chair. “Why don’t we explore the TV another day?” he found himself suggesting, “We could do something to cool down instead.”

At this, Teddie brightened and released Yu. Yosuke heard Yu’s grateful inhale as Teddie bounded over to Yosuke’s side of the table. “Yosuke! I didn’t know you could come up with good ideas!” Teddie cooed innocently despite the bark of his words. “Let’s all get topsicles! Yosuke’s treat!”

Chie perked up. “That’s a great idea, Teddie!”

Yosuke jumped up. “Ted! Don’t just offer my money out so freely. I don’t even know if I have enough on me!”

Yukiko stood and helped Chie up. “A topsicle would hit the spot. Let’s get going!” she urged happily, already moving toward the courtyard’s exit.

Kanji put away his fan and Rise returned the one she borrowed. “Thanks, senpai!” they both chirped.

Yosuke’s protests fell on deaf ears as the rest of the group departed. Only Yu remained. He walked over to his side and delicately placed a hand on Yosuke’s shoulder. “Thank you, Yosuke.” The way Yu said it made it all worth it, and his smile…Yosuke would’ve given Chie his entire wallet if he could have Yu smile at him like that all the time. He felt like the center of Yu’s world and his heart sped up at the thought.

There was no denying how he felt about Yu. Not since they’d rescued Rise and he’d realized just _why_ he was so annoyed with the way she hung off of him every chance she got. At first, he thought he might have been jealous of Yu, which led to their legendary fight on the riverbank. Once they’d punched it out and become equals, Yosuke realized his feelings were something else entirely. He was in love with Yu. And quickly after he’d realized it, Yosuke knew he could never tell him.

As Yu took his hand to help him up from his seat, Yosuke reminded himself of all the reasons why he needed to conceal his feelings.

First, Yosuke was a guy and he knew Yu liked girls. Yu had said as much before. Second, Yosuke was ashamed of the way he’d reacted to Kanji’s bathhouse and to Kanji. He’d been a real ass, and now there was no way he could ever come out about how he felt without that being attached to it. Third, Yu trusted him. They were partners. If he told Yu about his feelings all of that would become tainted and he feared Yu might think he had some ulterior motive for getting close to him. Fourth, Rise had been pretty vocal about her feelings for Yu and he did not want to cause a rift in their team. It could hurt their investigation and he would not be able to live with himself if he were the reason Saki was never avenged. Fifth, there was no way Yu could ever like someone like him. Yosuke simply wasn’t good enough. His partner deserved the best and Yosuke was mediocre on a good day. No, it was better that he stayed silent and remained Yu’s best friend and partner.

“Hey.” Yu’s voice brought him back to the present. He blinked and looked down at their still connected hands. Yosuke had not even realized they’d made it to the elevator.

Yosuke was quick to snatch his hand away. “Oh! Sorry, partner!” he exclaimed, hoping how flustered he was wasn’t obvious. “I spaced out for a minute there. Must be the heat.” He laughed awkwardly as Yu watched him with a blank expression. He was just grateful Yu didn’t seem suspicious. Yu was too sharp for his own good.

“I’ll pay for your topsicle,” Yu suddenly announced with a firm nod.

The elevator arrived and Yosuke followed Yu inside, waving his hands in surrender. “No, you don’t have to do that! I’m treating, remember?”

Yu frowned. “Are you sure?”

Yosuke couldn’t help but smile. Yu was always looking out for him. He placed a hand on Yu’s shoulder. “I’m sure. I’m not doing anything I don’t want to do. Got it?”

Yu smiled softly. “I understand.”

They joined the others who were waiting for them rather impatiently on the first floor and then headed to the shopping district. The conversation was less lively than usual, and Yosuke chalked that up to the heat that permeated everything. He didn’t feel alive again until they were unwrapping their topsicles while standing under the shade of the nearest tree.

As soon as he took his first bite, Yosuke felt significantly better. A glance around the group and he could tell everyone felt similarly. Chie’s spirits were back up and Yukiko was laughing as loudly and obnoxiously as usual. Kanji’s temper had returned, spurred on by Rise’s teasing. She was still standing way too close to Yu, but her eyes were looking much brighter than they had before. Teddie’s energy had returned. He was jumping around and cheering loudly, a topsicle in each hand.

All Yosuke’s brain activity came to a screeching halt when he looked at Yu.

Yu was sucking on the topsicle in his mouth, sweat still dripping from his hairline, one hand tucked in a pocket as his eyes watched the group with a quiet fondness. Yosuke felt the heat rush back to his stomach as he watched the way Yu’s lips wrapped around the icy treat. As if Yu could sense his stare, his silver eyes suddenly met Yosuke’s brown ones and _that_ was too much for him. Yosuke barely contained a squeak as he abruptly turned away, pulled out his phone and pretended that he’d suddenly received a message. Yosuke felt dizzy and turned on and it was absolutely _mortifying_.

Sure, the group joked about him being a pervert. It was an on-going gag that Yosuke tolerated, but he’d never actually considered himself one until now. There was no excuse for the way he’d leered at Yu. Yu, with his muscular build, pretty eyes, gentleness, and seductive mouth – _ugh!_

He had to snap out of it. This had to stop. He couldn’t seriously be this creepy.

“Yosuke!” Teddie practically sang, sidling up to him. “You don’t look beary well. Are you upset that Sensei is scoring with Rise?”

Yosuke’s eyes widened, struck by fear. Luckily, Chie’s loud lament saved him from having to respond. There was no way Teddie could possibly know how he felt. He was commenting on Yosuke being jealous of Yu, not of Rise. He tried to play it off with a laugh, but as soon as he turned toward Yu and Rise he felt hot under the collar all over again.

Yu had pulled the topsicle out of his mouth and was now licking the melting juice off the sides. Yosuke’s mouth went dry as he watched Yu’s pink tongue travel the length of the topiscle again and again. He could hardly breathe as Yu took it back in his mouth, lips sticky from the juices and sucking at the tip with a slurping sound Yosuke was sure he did not imagine. Yosuke dropped his jaw along with his topsicle.

“Aw, shit!” he cried, snapping out of his lascivious daze. He dropped down to pick up the wooden stick, not wanting to litter because he couldn’t control himself.

“Are you okay, senpai?” Kanji asked. He stepped closer and Yosuke jumped as Kanji’s face drifted closer to his. “You look kinda red.”

Yosuke stepped back, putting his hands in front of himself. Kanji frowned and immediately Yosuke regretted it. Kanji was just concerned, and Yosuke was making an ass out of himself. Again. “S-Sorry!” he forced out, lowering his hands to his sides. “You know. I do feel a little funny. Maybe I should head home.”

Kanji eyed him again, clearly not buying his excuse. However, he sighed and backed away. “All right. But I don’t think you should go alone. You know, just in case.”

Before Yosuke could insist he would be fine, Yu stepped in, all but tearing himself away from Rise’s grasp. “I’ll walk him home.” Yosuke internally screamed.

Teddie smiled wide. “Then I will make sure these lovely ladies get home safe!” The chorus of groans did nothing to comfort Yosuke.

“Thank you, Teddie.” Yu sounded genuine.

This couldn’t be happening. He was still in denial as Yu put a hand on the small of his back and began to push him forward. “Let’s meet up tomorrow,” Yu said as he continued to push Yosuke away.

The goodbyes and well wishes sealed Yosuke’s fate. He nervously lifted his eyes to look at Yu. Yu smiled and then took a long lick of the topsicle that he still hadn’t finished and surprisingly hadn’t melted. Yosuke was in hell.

“You should have some,” Yu suddenly offered, pushing the topsicle toward Yosuke’s lips. “It will help you cool down.”

Yosuke’s entire body suddenly spiked in temperature. If his face was red before, he could only imagine how it looked now as he stared in disbelief at Yu’s neutral expression. Could Yu even hear himself? Didn’t he know how suggestive he was being?

“W-What?” he stammered, “No. I couldn’t! I bought that for you.” Yosuke’s argument was weak and he and Yu both knew it.

“I insist.” The topsicle was pressed against his lips. Yosuke gulped and surrendered. He opened his mouth slightly and Yu all but shoved the topsicle inside. Yosuke barely stifled a moan as his fists clenched and he tried desperately to ignore the wave of arousal that swept over him. He wanted to cry. It shouldn’t be _this_ hard to ignore his feelings, and the way Yu watched Yosuke suck on the topsicle that he held in his mouth was downright lewd.

Yosuke, unable to take anymore, pulled away and turned his head so Yu could not see the yearning in his gaze. “Uhh. Yeah. I feel much better now. Thanks, partner.” All the while his mind screamed a chorus of ‘Indirect Kiss!’

Yu smiled. “Glad I could help you feel better.” Yosuke averted his eyes again as Yu took the topiscle back in his own mouth. He was certain watching Yu finish it would also finish him.

Yosuke nearly cheered when they reached his house. The entire walk had been something out of a poorly scripted porn. Yu had noisily finished his topsicle, which only confirmed to Yosuke that he was making all of this up, since Yu had clearly not needed an audience to eat it the way that he had been. Between the slurping and sucking noises that seemed overdramatized and the occasional brush of their arms or hands as they walked, Yosuke was ready to run into his house, lock the door, and never leave again.

He paused at his front door, finally daring himself to look at Yu. After all, he had to keep up appearances. “Well, thanks for walking me back, partner,” he began hesitantly, “I guess I’ll see you at school tomorrow.”

Yu nodded, expression unreadable. “Is your mom home?”

Yosuke shook his head. “No, she told me this morning she was going to visit some friends.”

“What about your dad?”

He couldn’t help but smile at Yu’s concern for his family. It was sweet that he thought of them too. “He’ll be at work until tonight.” Yosuke unlocked the front door and stepped across the threshold, his goodbye already on his tongue. “Well–”

“I’m coming in,” Yu suddenly announced, forcing his way past Yosuke. He slipped off his shoes and shut the door behind them all while Yosuke stared at him with a slack jaw and eyebrows high into his hairline.

“P-Partner, what are you doing?” he stammered, remembering to take off his own shoes before he chased Yu further into the house. He followed Yu up the stairs and into his room.

Once again, Yu shut the door behind Yosuke, but this time the way Yu looked at him was anything but innocent. Yu’s eyes were narrowed and there was a glint in them that had Yosuke breathless.

“Yosuke.” His voice was low and rough and it made Yosuke’s body tingle.

“Yeah?”

Yu took a step forward and Yosuke took one back. “You’re hiding something from me,” Yu accused, eyes slowly giving Yosuke a once over that left him reeling. Yu had never looked at him like that before. In fact, before now, he wasn’t even sure Yu knew _how_ to make such an expression. If Yosuke didn’t know any better, he would’ve said Yu looked as horny as Yosuke felt. But…didn’t Yu like girls?

Yosuke’s voice faltered. “What do you mean?”

He took another step back as Yu continued his advance. “You’ve been acting weird all day.” Yu paused. “No, you’ve been acting weird for a while now. Ever since we fought that day. I want you to tell me what’s going on.”

Yosuke panicked, searching his mind for any suitable excuse. The best he could come up with was: “I’ve just been worried about the TV world. That’s all!”

Yosuke felt his back hit the wall of his bedroom. Yu had managed to pin him against the small space that existed between his bed and the work desk he hardly ever used. He gulped as Yu continued to press forward, supporting his weight with a hand against the wall near Yosuke’s head. “You can’t hide anything from me, _partner_.” Yosuke couldn’t stop the delicious shudder that shook his entire body. “I see the way you look at me.”

Yosuke choked on his own saliva. “Huh?”

Yu nodded, lifting his free hand, and tracing his pointer finger along the collar of Yosuke’s v-neck. Yosuke felt tingles fluttering through his body from the simple touch. “You look at me all the time. At school. When we’re hanging out and you think I’m not paying attention. In the TV world, when you _should_ be paying attention to everything else around you. Today under the tree.”

There was no fighting the blush that spread across Yosuke’s face. Had he really been so obvious? _Of course_ he had. Yu was right; there was nothing Yosuke could hide from him. His only choices now were to confess or to continue to deny it. Yosuke grit his teeth and decided he’d go down with his ship.

“Of course I look at you, partner,” he answered, faking his cool even though he was moments away from falling apart and spilling his guts. “Who doesn’t? You’re our leader. I’ve got to look at you so I know what you want me to do.”

Yu chuckled, there was something off about the sound. It was not the kind tone Yosuke was used to hearing. It was dangerous in a way that excited Yosuke further. “What I want you to do, hm?” Yu hummed.

Yosuke was helpless against his urge to prattle on. “Y-Yeah. I want to be reliable and useful to you and the others. I think you should be more concerned about the way Rise looks at you. She clearly likes–”

Yu pressed close, voice low near Yosuke’s ear. “Let’s not talk about Rise.” Yosuke shrank a bit. He’d never seen this intensity in Yu. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t love that it was directed at him. “Admit it, Yosuke. You like me.”

A loud scratching noise sounded in his head. Reason 1: Yu likes girls and reason 4: Rise’s feelings, were mentally crossed out. He could hear Susano-o laughing at him.

It was all Yosuke could do to not hyperventilate. His stomach burned, his face burned, his _heart_ burned. His eyes felt as wide as his own face as he opened and closed his mouth, completely incapable of forming a coherent string of words or sounds.

Yu’s expression softened. His predatory posture slackened, and the corners of his lips began to droop. “Am I wrong?” His voice sounded so devastated. Yosuke could hardly make sense of it. “I just thought…” He shook his head and stepped away from Yosuke’s trembling form. “I’m so sorry, Yosuke. I’ll leave now. I hope you feel better.”

Yosuke could hear his heart pounding in his head. He couldn’t let Yu leave like this. Not with that frown that had no business being on his cute mouth. Yosuke launched himself at Yu, wrapping his arms around him from behind and holding him still. He heard the way Yu gasped as Yosuke tightened his grip, resting his head against the back of Yu’s.

“Don’t go. I-I do like you.” Yosuke could feel the tension drain from Yu’s body.

“Then why didn’t you say something?” Yu asked tenderly.

Yosuke shook his head. “I thought it was better not to. You deserve so much better than me, partner.”

Yu sighed. He placed his hands over Yosuke’s and loosened his grip so he could face him. Yosuke was surprised to see Yu frowning so sternly. “You need to stop thinking about yourself like that,” he admonished. “You’re the best partner I could ever have. There’s so many wonderful things about you that I wish you could see. I like you too.”

Reasons 3 and 5, losing trust and not being good enough, were also crossed out. Rather than laugh, Yosuke got the distinct feeling Susano-o was more intrigued than amused.

Yosuke blinked, as intrigued as Susano-o was. Had he heard Yu correctly? Did Yu just say he liked him? Yu laughed, easily able to read the disbelief on Yosuke’s face. “I said I like you too.” Yu rubbed the side of his face sheepishly. “I’ll admit I wasn’t going to tell you either. I thought there was no way you could ever like a guy, but then I noticed the way you’d started looking at me and I thought I’d try and drop some hints…”

Yosuke snapped out of his stupor. “H-Hey! Wait a minute! Was that stuff with the topsicle on purpose then?”

Yu’s entire face turned red. It was a look Yosuke had never seen on Yu, who was nearly always composed, but goodness did he like it. “Eh…well…”

“Partner!” Yosuke cried, fisting the collar of Yu’s shirt. “I felt like such a creep! Do you realize what you put me through?”

Yu, still redder than ever before, narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly. “I’d love if you described what I put you through.” His voice sounded downright sinful and Yosuke couldn’t stifle the gasp that escaped his lips. The sound pleased Yu, if his deepening smirk was any indication. Before Yosuke knew it, he was backed into the wall again and Yu’s mouth was closer than it had ever been to his own. Yu hovered there, an inch away from a kiss, and chuckled.

“Stop teasing me,” Yosuke whined, “I can’t take it anymore!”

“Are we dating now?” Yu asked, breath ghosting over Yosuke’s skin in the best way. He didn’t miss the vulnerability in his tone, as though Yu still expected to be rejected. Yosuke was reminded of his treatment of Kanji and he knew he would have to cross the remaining reason off the list himself.

“Yes,” he managed, lifting one of his hands to caress Yu’s cheek. “If you’ll have me.”

The look of delight on Yu’s face at his answer nearly drowned him. Could someone like him really make someone like Yu happy? Yu angled his head and rubbed his nose and lips against the sensitive skin of Youske’s neck; it made him _writhe_. All doubts and hesitation flew away with his senses. Yosuke needed Yu and he needed him now. 

“Partner, _please_.” He wanted him; He wanted Yu so badly it was starting to hurt. As soon as Yu kissed him, Yosuke lost feeling in his legs as all the blood in his body seemed to drain down. Yu was stoking the fire inside him with each kiss that felt even hotter than the previous. Yosuke couldn’t get enough of him. His mouth, his neck, his arms, nothing Yosuke grasped onto was enough to sate him. He needed more. His hands slithered around Yu’s waist to press him even closer. The feel of his body rubbing against his made him gasp and moan; sounds that Yu eagerly swallowed with his mouth. Yu teased him with his tongue, gently caressing and sliding against his, much like how Yu had licked the topsicle.

Yu suddenly pulled away eliciting another moan from Yosuke, though this one sounded much more disappointed. Yu pressed their foreheads together, his breath dusting Yosuke’s face. “Teddie will be back soon. We should probably stop.”

Yosuke, head spinning with desire, weakly shook his head. Yu laughed, planting one more kiss on Yosuke’s lips. It was far too chaste for Yosuke’s liking. Yu dragged his finger down Yosuke’s chest, starting from his collar bone and lingering just before the waistband of his pants. “I’m sorry. Next time I’ll fully ravish you, _partner._ ”

The implication. The name. It was too much. Yosuke gasped, brows drawn together. He was panting and Yu was looking at him like he wanted to gobble him up. How was he supposed to stop? Yosuke shook his head, reaching up to put his hands behind Yu’s neck. “No, Yu. You’ll ravish me now,” he breathed before capturing Yu’s lips with a rough kiss. This time Yu needed Yosuke’s support to stay standing as they succumbed to their desire. 

They didn’t stop until they heard Teddie downstairs. They leapt to other ends of the room just as Teddie barged through the door. The blonde looked between them curiously, clearly intrigued by the messy state of their clothes and the way their chests were heaving. Rather than leave it up to Teddie’s interpretation, Yosuke was quick to say, “Whew! I’m beat. Thanks for helping me move some stuff around, partner!”

Yu had a grin plastered to his swollen lips and Teddie looked as suspicious as ever. It didn’t matter to Yosuke, though. Yu liked him. He could handle whatever came next so long as Yu was by his side.


	3. Windy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Windy: In which Yosuke and Yu are drawn to each other for a larger reason they have yet to comprehend. Sailor Moon AU.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, when I sat down to brainstorm for this prompt what immediately came to mind is the scene in Sailor Moon when Usagi's grades fly and hit Mamoru in the face and I just had to do it. I love Sailor Moon, it was the first anime I ever watched, and it felt like the perfect opportunity to blend the two here. Yosuke is in the role of Usagi. Yu is Mamoru/Tuxedo Mask and I'm borrowing his fierce leader energy for this. I also pulled in Morgana from P5 as Luna, because I didn't want to make Teddie a talking animal. I won't tag Morgana, though. He is only getting a mention, really. Please enjoy!

Yosuke marched through Inaba to his doom as the wind buffeted against his form. He was only a few streets away from his home and he still had no idea how he was going to explain his exam grades to his mother. She’d been so hopeful Yosuke would do better this time around. He clutched the crinkled paper in his hands that listed his test grades by subject. He hadn’t passed a single exam and none of them had even been close.

He frowned as he imagined what would happen when he arrived home and revealed his piss-poor results. His mom was going to leave him on the doorstep again, locked out and begging to be let in until Teddie returned from school. Then, she would cry, holding a confused Teddie in the doorway, as she lamented the poor example he set for his younger brother. Well, that was what she did last time, anyway.

If only he could tell her he had other worries besides his grades. Like, _the fate of the world for instance!_ Then again, he hadn’t seen Morgana in a while. Perhaps the cat had taken one look at his grades and decided to go find another sailor guardian. Yosuke sighed, heavily.

The wind blew again as though it was trying to convince him to turn around, walk to the train station, and start a new life far, far away. He groaned, suddenly balling up the paper in his hand. “School is dumb, anyway!” he cried, throwing up his hands just as another gust of wind blew by.

He watched with wide eyes as the ball of incriminating paper was stolen from his grasp and carried away. Yosuke quickly turned to chase after it only to watch the paper smack into the face of a guy wearing his school uniform.

All the blood drained from his face as he watched the other guy grab the paper, unfold it, and begin to read its contents.

“H-Hey!” Yosuke shouted, rushing over to try and stop him. “Don’t read that!”

The guy lifted his head, meeting Yosuke’s panic with a steady stare. Yosuke was taken aback by how attractive he was. His gray eyes and matching hair, boyish face, and soft smile slowed his reaction enough for the guy to turn the tables by smirking wickedly.

“Have you ever opened a textbook?”

“W-What?” Yosuke stammered, slightly deflated.

The guy continued. “I’ve never seen scores so low. There’s no way this is possible. Do you even listen to the lectures or are you too busy listening to the music coming out of those headphones around your neck?”

Yosuke deflated even more. He was so embarrassed he was certain his soul was going to rip from his body and fly to heaven. He tried to get a word in, but the guy just kept talking, digging the knife in his chest even deeper.

“You should take your education more seriously. You’ve never seemed like the most engaged student, but I thought you were capable of more than this–”

Yosuke finally found the strength to interject. “You _know_ me?”

The guy blinked, mischief fading to confusion then embarrassment then to neutrality. “Yeah?” He was near expressionless. “I sit in front of you in class… Are you really that checked out?”

Recognition struck Yosuke like a bowling ball. He’d honestly never bothered to look at the front of the guy he sat behind. Perhaps he _was_ too checked out in class. Looking at the guy now – he was pretty sure his name was Narukami – he wished he’d looked sooner. Narukami’s front was pretty great to look at, and something about him left Yosuke’s mind buzzing. Looking at Narukami was like trying to cling to the remnants of a dream that had long evaded him.

Narukami suddenly laughed. It was loud and Yosuke wasn’t sure if it was at his expense or not. Narukami handed him the paper and the smirk returned to his lips. However, this smirk looked more sensual than before and Yosuke was not sure what to make of it. All he knew was it made his face heat up. 

“Say…why don’t we make a deal?” Narukami’s tone was sly. “You agree to be my study partner and we’ll make sure you never take home grades like this again.”

Yosuke’s jaw dropped. “Huh?” Narukami laughed again as Yosuke wove his hands around in refusal. “Wait. Wait. Wait. What kind of deal is that? What do you even get out of it? You’ve seen my grades. You know there’s nothing I can help you with in return.”

Narukami practically purred like a cat as he stepped closer, inching his face near Yosuke’s. “I get your company.”

And suddenly Yosuke understood what it meant to have your heart go “doki doki”.


	4. Rainy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainy: In which Yosuke has romantic fantasies that Yu wants to fulfill.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's no real background story to this one. Just me wanting to indulge in my desire to write cliches. Hope you enjoy! And a huge thank you to those who have given me kudos and left me comments. I've really appreciated it :)

The bell rang to signal the end of the school day, and Yosuke couldn’t have been happier. It’d been a long day that seemed to drag on and on. His mind still felt numb from Kashiwagi’s “lecture” on “Why Men These Days Don’t Appreciate the Women They Should”. He was pretty sure the headache he had nursed the second half of the day had been a direct result of all his eye rolling.

Yosuke hopped to his feet, taking the one step it took to reach Yu’s desk. His best friend was currently carefully packing his notebooks into his bag. Yosuke opened his mouth to invite Yu to hang out when the sudden pitter patter of rain filled their classroom. There were a few squeaks of surprise and low groans of disappointment around the room. Yu silently turned his head to look out the window and mutter ‘Darn’ under his breath. It was as close as Yu ever seemed to get to cursing outright.

“Not a fan of the rain, partner?” Yosuke felt stupid for even asking. Of course, Yu wasn’t a fan. He wasn’t either. It meant they would have to monitor the Midnight Channel, and all the memories associated with their TV world dives would haunt his dreams.

Still, Yu turned to him with a patient smile. “It’s not that. I forgot to bring my umbrella today.”

Yosuke was quick to grab his bag and pull out his own. “No problem! I don’t have work today so I can walk you home.” He twirled it in his hand by the string as he waited for Yu’s answer. The thoughtful look on his typically neutral face gave him pause.

“…I was actually going to study in the library for a bit.”

Oh. Yu’s eyes watched Yosuke closely. As much as Yosuke was itching to leave the school premises, he couldn’t in good conscience leave his partner to walk home in the pouring rain. He glanced out the window and saw how the trees were shaking in the wind. No, he couldn’t walk out on Yu. Plus, it was probably wiser to wait for the rain to slow down a bit anyway.

“I’ll go with you!” he replied with a smile. Yu’s eyes widened slightly before he lifted a hand to cover his mouth and laugh. Yosuke furrowed his brows, shifting to put his weight on one hip. “And what is so funny?”

Yu smiled softly. “I never thought I would ever see you so eager to study.”

Yosuke waved him off, stepping aside so Yu could stand. “Who said I was going to study? I’ll just read manga or something.”

As they walked out of the classroom, Yu tutted at him. “If you don’t study, you won’t be able to do well on the upcoming exams.”

Yosuke laughed at his matter-of-fact expression. “What are you? My mom?”

Yu turned to look into Yosuke’s eyes, appearing as deadpan as ever. “I only want what’s best for you, dear.” He was so serious Yosuke stumbled in the hall. Yu reached out to grab his arm to steady him and Yosuke felt himself flushing from the touch.

“Partner, you’re so weird,” he chuckled, trying to shake off the electricity that seemed to pulse through him. He was certain it was Yu’s impeccable acting ability and not the term of endearment that had slipped him up. After all, Yu seemed to always catch him off guard like that. Whether he was doing an impression of someone or just teasing him, Yu had a way of slipping into another persona that was so natural Yosuke could never contest it. Given his wild card abilities, Yosuke thought it was fitting and he could tell Yu delighted in it. Even now Yu was beaming at him, well, as much as Yu could beam. The corners of his lips were turned up and his eyes looked brighter than usual.

Yosuke smiled back, mentally begging his heartbeat to slow down. It meant nothing. Yu was just having fun. He had seen countless of Yu’s smiles. It was nothing new. He should act normal. Scratch that, he should just _be_ normal, he wasn’t acting. Why would he be acting? Nothing was wrong!

Yu slid the door to the library open and gestured for Yosuke to enter first. The smile Yu had for him had shifted into something gentler in the few minutes that had passed, and it did nothing to help Yosuke calm down. As soon as he slipped inside, he made a beeline for the manga section. A few minutes away from Yu would give him the peace of mind to reorient himself.

Yu found them a table near the windows, and they got comfortable sitting across from each other. Yu began reviewing the material from each of his subject notebooks while Yosuke dove into the world of the manga he had chosen. Time passed comfortably between them as it always did despite the rain that was pouring heavily just outside.

Yosuke had his headphones on and was tapping his foot along with the song’s beat as he flipped through the pages. He was reading a shoujo manga, which was not something he would normally choose. He’d gotten caught up in the story after he came across the title on a trip to the bookstore with Yu. The series was called ‘Love Always’ and it told the tale of two best friends falling in love with each other. For whatever reason, Yosuke hadn’t been able to put it down. As embarrassing as it was, Yosuke had even bought a few books in the series.

Luckily, the cover allowed him to save face. Unlike other shoujo mangas, it was not pink, glittery, or covered with cute girls. It had a simple red cover and featured a different character drawing on each volume. When he saw the library had the volume he needed to read next, he jumped at the chance. 

He was currently reading through a scene that featured the two best friends running into each other on a rainy day. Yosuke was on the edge of his seat as his eyes shifted from image to image. Finally, after all this time, Risa-chan was confessing her feelings for Daru-kun. His heart did a flip as Daru-kun dropped his umbrella and pulled her into his arms. He confessed that he returned her feelings and kissed her. Yosuke felt his face heat up by just _how_ much they were kissing. He dropped the book onto the table, letting his face sink into the palms of his hands.

“What’s wrong?”

Yu’s voice startled him. Yosuke peeked through his fingers to see Yu’s concerned glance. “Just got to a part that was too embarrassing to read in public,” he confessed, voice squeaking.

Yu’s concern melted into a smile. His expression was so soothing, Yosuke could feel his own shoulders relaxing. He let his hands drop and close the book properly. Yu leaned forward and pushed the book to the side with a finger. “Let’s study now.”

Yosuke feigned a groan that only made Yu chuckle. “Fine…”

Yosuke pulled out his own notebooks and spread them out on the table’s surface. Yu tapped Yosuke’s math notebook. “Want to go over this with me?” Yosuke knew he had no other choice and surrendered to Yu’s insistence. There was a reason the guy was their leader.

Yosuke found it was difficult to pay attention to Yu’s instructions on how to solve the various equations. He kept thinking back to the manga’s rainy make-out scene. There was nothing that was inherently novel about the scene. In fact, kisses in the rain were a huge cliché in shoujo and in films. He should not have been surprised. Yet, Yosuke was unable to think about anything else. His eyes darted to the rain that continued to assault the library’s windows as a realization dawned on him. _He_ wanted to make out with someone he loved in the rain.

He could feel the blush spreading across his face and down his neck. It was so embarrassing. Wasn’t a desire like that for girls? He shouldn’t be so caught up in his own romantic fantasies. He shouldn’t be _swooning_ from some fictional scene!

“Something’s on your mind.” Once again, Yu’s soft voice startled him. Yosuke avoided his eyes, aware of just how strange he was behaving. “Tell me,” Yu pleaded, sounding even gentler than before.

Yosuke lifted his eyes. Yu looked so patient, so willing to hear him out. He knew he could tell his partner anything, and every time he had talked to Yu about something on his mind before, he always made Yosuke feel better. The choice was obvious. He exhaled deeply and nodded. “Okay. Promise not to laugh?”

“Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye.” Yu swore with a serious expression as he crossed his hand over his chest. Yosuke wondered if Nanako had taught him that.

“Partner, do you ever…do you ever think about romantic things you’d want to do with someone you like?” Yosuke’s heart was pounding in his chest. The intensity of it surprised him.

Yu took a moment to think through Yosuke’s question. He could tell by the way Yu averted his gaze and tapped his cheek. After a short pause, he nodded. “Yes. Is that what you were thinking about?” There was no judgement in his tone, just curiosity, and it spurred Yosuke forward.

“Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck, face pink from the admission. “That manga had a scene about kissing in the rain.” Pink deepened to red. “And it made me think I’d like to try it.”

Yu did not outwardly react and that only made Yosuke’s stomach flutter more. With a neutral expression, Yu suddenly asked, “Is there someone you wanted to try it with?”

Yosuke sputtered, quick to hold up his hands. “I-I hadn’t thought _that_ far!” he nearly shouted, earning himself a few shushes and annoyed glances. He leaned toward Yu, lowered his voice, and added, “I was just imagining the scenario.”

“But if you were imagining it, surely you imagined who you might kiss,” Yu pressed, also leaning toward Yosuke. He and Yosuke had discussed their tastes before. Yu had not said much about his preferences then, so it surprised Yosuke that he was so curious now.

“Ah, well. In the manga, the characters were best friends, so I guess if I am imagining someone, I’d want them to be that close to me,” Yosuke thought out loud. Yu’s eyes widened and Yosuke panicked. “I-I mean, not…uh. Um, wait, partner! Don’t–”

Yu suddenly stood and began shoving his things into his bag. Yosuke jumped up and did the same, struggling to keep up with Yu’s speed. He had never seen the silver-haired boy move so quickly, not even in the TV world. Yosuke had to jog just to keep up with him as he abruptly departed the library and made his way down to the shoe lockers on the first floor.

“Yu, slow down!” Yosuke begged as he hurried to change his shoes and follow Yu into the rain. He’d barely opened his umbrella by the time Yu had latched onto his wrist and pulled him through the school gates.

Yu was quieter than he’d ever been and that was saying something. He didn’t say a word to Yosuke as they swiftly walked through Inaba. No matter how many times Yosuke asked where they were going. Normally, Yosuke could read his mood or guess what he was thinking, but right now Yu was a complete mystery to him. It was unsettling.

What was even more unsettling was Yu’s tight grip on his wrist. Yosuke was so zoned in on the sensation of Yu’s skin against his own he could barely manage to not trip over his own feet. Yu’s grip, while demanding, also felt good. So good it made Yosuke’s mind spiral.

Yu was his best friend, his partner in all things. While he had never had a friend that was as close to him as Yu was, Yosuke was pretty sure it was not normal for him to feel so flustered by a wrist hold. If he dared be honest with himself, this was not the first time touching Yu had evoked such a reaction. After all, it had already happened earlier that day! Yosuke had initially chalked it up to his admiration of Yu, but lately that had felt like an understatement.

Yosuke felt like a mess as his shoes began to squish from the puddles they’d trudged through. He was sure the bottoms of his pants were going to have mud splashes all over them. A quick look down confirmed that Yu’s pants were already filthy near his ankles. Usually Yu was careful about these sorts of things. What had possessed him?

Yosuke was suddenly pulled down a short flight of stairs, nearly tripping as he tried his best to keep Yu’s urgent pace. He glanced around as he held the umbrella carefully over their heads. Yu had brought them to the riverbank.

He blinked, allowing Yu to pull him near the river’s shore. “Yu, what are we doing here?”

Yu finally turned to him and Yosuke was surprised to see him look so nervous. It wasn’t obvious in his face, but Yosuke could tell by the way his hands fidgeted with his bag. “Describe the scene in the book to me,” he requested, still avoiding Yosuke’s questions.

Yosuke blinked again. “Uh, okay.” He recounted the tale, including a brief explanation of the characters’ friendship and previous pining scenes to paint the full picture to Yu. Yu seemed to appreciate these details as he nodded his head, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. Yosuke smiled, struck by the desire to smooth Yu’s forehead with his lips. Yosuke’s brain came to a screeching halt. He wanted to _what_? Before he could process that thought, Yu took a step back and out of the protection of Yosuke’s umbrella.

Yosuke immediately panicked. Had Yu read his mind? Was that even possible? Why else would Yu willingly step into the pouring rain? Yosuke watched, eyes wide, as Yu’s white shirt became drenched. He could see the hues of Yu’s skin underneath the transparent material that clung to every curve of his broad shoulders and chest. Yosuke found himself blushing as he struggled to pull his eyes away from Yu’s body and to his barely visible eyes underneath the wet pieces of his bangs.

“Partner, you’re going to get sick!” Yosuke protested, reaching to grab his arm. Yu let him, but he did not budge as Yosuke pulled. “Yu–!”

“Yosuke.” The authority in Yu’s voice stopped him. His mouth dropped open as Yu’s eyes captured his. They were filled with such determination and affection Yosuke couldn’t look away. “Yosuke, I like you. I’ve liked you for a while now, but I never knew how to tell you.”

Yosuke’s mind exploded. “W-What?”

Yu’s face turned pink. Yosuke could not wrap his mind around how bashful Yu looked and how _cute_ he thought it was. “Can I be the one you make out with in the rain?”

Yosuke was so flustered he dropped the umbrella. “P-Partner!” he gasped, suddenly unable to breathe right. “What are you saying? We’re both guys!”

Yu took a step closer and Yosuke was consumed by the sudden passion in Yu’s gaze. “I don’t care.” He slowly brought his hand up to cup Yosuke’s cheek and Yosuke gasped. Yu’s hand was soft, wet, and warm. He gave into the urge to lean into it which made Yu gasp too.

Yu’s lips were slightly parted and he looked anything but composed as his face drifted closer to Yosuke’s. Yosuke was wet and trembling and filled with anticipation. He felt like a coil twisted so tight, desperate to spring free. Yu paused, eyes still on Yosuke, and close enough that Yosuke could feel his breath on his lips. He was waiting for permission like a gentleman. It was the last straw. Yosuke swooned.

He grabbed Yu’s collar and pulled him the rest of the way. When their lips met, Yosuke felt his insides melt. Yu’s lips were soft, inviting, and he tasted like rain and the ginger pork they’d shared for lunch. He’d never tasted something so heavenly. They pulled apart with shudder. Yu’s other hand moved up to cradle the back of Yosuke’s neck as Yosuke’s hands slipped around Yu’s shoulders. The smoldering look in Yu’s eyes made Yosuke moan as he was pulled in again. 

Each kiss left Yosuke weaker. His legs wobbled as Yu nipped at his bottom lip, pressing his chest ever closer as Yosuke clung to Yu’s wet shirt and attempted to fist his hair. He felt positively feverish. Barely hanging onto reality as Yu attempted to kiss him into oblivion. Yu bit down more firmly on his lip, it should’ve hurt, but it only made Yosuke moan louder. Yu’s tongue was pushed into his mouth and his lower stomach surged with tingles he could no longer fight.

His mind, his body, his _senses_ were filled with Yu. His taste. His smell. His touch. The way his body felt. Yosuke was burning with want. He didn’t even have the presence of mind to be embarrassed at all the sounds he and Yu were making. He just wanted more. He wanted everything Yu would give him.

Yu pulled away from his lips with a satisfying pop, only to begin peppering kisses along Yosuke’s jaw line and down to his neck. Yosuke shook, hands shaking from clinging so desperately. “P-Partner!” he sputtered, too far gone to try and hide the raw desire in his voice.

Yu paused, hovering over the nape of Yosuke’s neck, nose surely covered by his wet hair. “Hm?”

The sound left Yosuke even more breathless. He was speechless. He couldn’t even utter a full sentence. All that came out of his mouth was a series of incoherent ‘uhs’ and ‘ums’. Yu chuckled and pulled away; Yosuke nearly chased him with his lips.

“We should get home,” Yu suggested, pushing his wet hair out of his face with one of the hands that had held Yosuke so firmly. “We’ll get sick if we don’t change out of these wet clothes soon.”

“W-Wait!” Yosuke cried, turning his body to follow Yu’s as he bent over to pick up Yosuke’s umbrella. Yu quirked an eyebrow at him as he tried to shake the raindrops from its inside. “We, uh, we didn’t do it right.”

Yu titled his head slightly, and Yosuke nearly melted all over again. The innocent curiosity in his silver eyes combined with his messy hair and swollen lips made his body vibrate with the need to claim Yu’s face all over again.

“Yosuke?” Yu called, looking slightly amused as though he knew what he was doing to him.

“I didn’t say anything,” Yosuke managed, pressing himself close to Yu again as he raised the umbrella.

Yu nodded. “That’s true. Do you have something to tell me?”

Yosuke growled, seizing Yu’s soaked shirt. “I’m being serious!” Yu simply smiled and it made Yosuke’s legs weak all over again. “I…I like you too. I was just in denial before now. Will you accept me?”

The way Yu’s face lit up nearly blinded Yosuke. He thought he’d seen Yu’s happy expression before, but it paled in comparison to the warmth that flooded Yu’s face now. Yosuke couldn’t help but smile back. Yu leaned forward, brushing his lips close to Yosuke’s ear. “Should we redo the make out scene then? I want to do it justice.”

Yosuke braced himself on Yu’s chest so he didn’t fall. “I, uh…mhm…” Yu kissed Yosuke again and he fell apart underneath the cover of his orange umbrella.

Yosuke was home sick for the next three days, and truthfully, he thought every minute of his misery was worth it. Staying home had allowed him to read three more volumes of ‘Love Always’, and now there were some other scenarios Yosuke was eager to try out. Yu had already sent his consent along with a list of his own fantasies. He couldn’t wait for the next time he and Yu were together.


	5. Snowy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowy: In which Yosuke comforts Yu and realizes just how much he cares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one has a more angst than previous chapters, but not by much. I don't know if I'll end up tagging that, because it's more or less the only chapter that is a little angsty. Hmm. Please enjoy your short dip into the pool of sadness. I promise you won't stay long. 
> 
> Also thank you again for all the kudos and comments. They're truly encouraging! :)

Yosuke stepped outside into the cold, night air with a satisfied sigh. His evening shift at Junes was over and he could finally rest. It’d been a busy night for not having a sale. No one he personally knew had come by, though. It was something that used to unnerve him, being visited by friends and family, but it was now something he looked forward to. He especially loved it when Yu would visit with Nanako and Dojima-san.

He frowned as he exited Junes. He supposed there was a good reason he had not seen Yu with the Dojimas recently. Both Dojima-san and Nanako were still in the hospital. Yosuke knew they were steadily getting better, but thinking about the circumstances of their hospitalization still upset him. And if it still upset him, he could only imagine how Yu was feeling all alone in the Dojima’s house.

He pulled out his phone. Yosuke had texted Yu during his break two hours ago, but Yu had not responded. He glanced up to the sky, spotting a few snowflakes beginning to fall on the already snowy ground. It was the same weather they’d had when they nearly threw Namatame into the TV after they thought Nanako had died. It wasn’t a moment Yosuke like to think about for many reasons.

Yosuke pulled up Yu’s number and hit the call button. He couldn’t ignore the tugging in his chest to check on him. Something felt off. His call went to voicemail after several rings; Yosuke thought it was weird. Yu always picked up his calls or called him right back. Yosuke waited a few minutes before letting it settle on him that Yu was not going to call him back. It worried him.

Yosuke took off down the street. His feet already knew where they needed to go. This time he dialed Teddie’s number as he hurried along.

Teddie picked up on the second ring. “Yosukeee! Are you calling to tell me you’re bringing home snacks?”

“No. Sorry, Ted.” He heard Teddie’s disappointed whine through the phone. If he wasn’t on a mission, he might’ve teased the bear a little about it. “Hey. Did you visit Yu today by any chance?”

Teddie sighed. “I tried to! Beary hard! But no one answered when I rang the doorbell. I thought maybe Sensei was not home.”

Yosuke supposed that could have been true, but if Yu hadn’t been home, where had he been? Surely, he would have returned home by now. It made no sense that he would not have seen Yosuke’s text or been able to answer his call just now.

“Hey Ted, I’m going to stop by his place on the way home. Will you let my mom know?”

“Roger that!” Teddie cheered through the phone. “Tell Sensei I love him beary much!” Teddie hung up with a click.

Yosuke shoved his hands into his jacket pocket and walked faster. By the time he made it to the flood plains, he was freezing. He cursed himself for not dressing warmer or at least grabbing his usual hat and a pair of gloves. He walked past the steps that led to the riverbank and skidded to a stop when he heard the zip of a fishing rod. It couldn’t be.

He turned his head to look down the hill. Yu was there, standing at the dock in his school uniform.

“Partner!” Yosuke shouted, hurrying down the steps and the distance that separated them.

Yu slowly turned to greet him, and Yosuke’s face fell at the sight. Yu was visibly shivering, pale, and his usually warm expression looked so hollow. “I thought you were at work, Yosuke,” Yu commented absently, voice without any of its usual zest.

“I just got off,” Yosuke answered. “It’s freezing out here, partner. Why are you only in your uniform?”

Yu turned away, shoulders tensing. “It’s not that cold.”

“But Yu, it’s snowing.” Yu didn’t say anything else. Yosuke’s frown deepened. “How long have you been out here, anyway?”

“Not sure.” Yu’s voice was low, barely a whisper.

Yosuke placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping it there even when Yu flinched. “Let me walk you home. I can feel how wet your clothes are. You should take a warm shower and dry off before you get sick.”

Yu shook his head. “I haven’t completed the request yet.”

Yosuke lifted a brow. “Request? What request?”

“To catch the river guardian.” Yosuke did not like the way Yu’s jaw set. It was the same as when they had been in the TV world rushing through Nanako’s dungeon. Yu hadn’t listened to reason then, wanting to rush ahead recklessly, and it seemed Yu was in the same state of mind now. “I won’t go home until I do.”

“Yu…” Yosuke was at a loss. Yu was the one who was good at comforting people. He always knew what to say to snap someone out of a funk or empower them to change the way they wanted to. Yosuke, on the other hand, always managed to put his foot in his own mouth no matter how good his intentions were.

He watched as Yu pulled back his line and examined the bait on the end of the hook. Yosuke grimaced at the bug. It was all slimy and wet and Yosuke _really_ didn’t know why Yu enjoyed this. He watched as Yu slid the bug off the hook and groaned, “Gross, partner! Warn me before you do that next time.”

To his surprise, Yu cracked a small smile. “Sorry.”

Yosuke decided to press harder. He owed it to Yu to do everything in his power to help. Well, not just owed. He sincerely wanted to. “Why are you really out here tonight, Yu?”

Yu’s shoulders slumped, the fishing line and his bait falling out of his hands. Yu looked tired. More tired than after an extended training run in the TV. The exhaustion was more than physical too. Yosuke could see the circles under his eyes even in the dark. Yu sucked in his bottom lip, eyes flashing with pain. “I couldn’t stand to be in that house anymore,” he softly confessed, “Not by myself…”

Yosuke felt his heart sink as he watched Yu shut his eyes and turn away. “Sorry,” Yu was quick to whisper, “I didn’t mean to burden you.”

Yosuke shook his head only to realize Yu couldn’t see him. “Partner, you’re never a burden.” Yu still didn’t look at him. “We’re equals, remember? There is nothing you could tell me that would ever be bothersome. I care about you. I want you to tell me what’s on your mind. No matter what it is. I want to be here for you. Will you let me?”

Yu finally turned back, and Yosuke was shocked to see the tears in his eyes. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen Yu cry, but it never seemed to be less shocking when he did. It wasn’t that he thought Yu didn’t ever cry or shouldn’t cry. It was more so Yosuke was always caught off guard that Yu felt comfortable enough to be so vulnerable around him. He was honored, touched to his very core.

Yosuke opened his arms and slowly pulled Yu to his chest. As soon as Yu’s head connected with his body, Yu cried, body heaving as the sobs forced their way out of his lips. Yosuke held him through all of it, hoping his presence was enough as the snow continued to fall.

After a while, Yu’s sobs turned to sniffles and then quieted all together. He pulled his head away from Yosuke’s shoulder. Yosuke took one look at his red-rimmed eyes and was compelled to wipe away the rest of his tears with his thumb.

Yu smiled weakly. “Your hand is cold.”

Yosuke returned his smile. “Well, you feel like an iceberg. Come on, partner. It’s time to go home.”

Yu hesitated. Yosuke sucked in a breath, prepared to drag Yu home if it came to it. What Yu said next caught him off guard all over again. “Will you stay with me?”

The simple request spread a warmth through Yosuke’s body that he had never quite felt before. He nodded, too overwhelmed by emotion to speak at first. “Yeah, partner. I’ll stay as long as you’ll have me.” The tender glance they shared made something click into place in Yosuke’s mind.

He’d always known Yu was special to him. Yosuke had already told him as much. However, it seemed Yosuke had underestimated just _how_ special Yu was. It was all Yosuke could think about as they packed up Yu’s fishing supplies and walked back to the Dojima’s house. As he ensured Yu showered, changed, ate some food, and warmed up, Yosuke was convinced his admiration and fondness for Yu had deepened into something else. And when Yu requested for Yosuke to share his futon, he knew that it was the same for Yu.

With his arms wrapped securely around Yu’s body underneath the blanket they shared, he vowed to show Yu just how special he was to him for as long as he could.


	6. Stormy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yu does not handle storms well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! This one is honestly just pure, indulgent fluff. Our boys are especially soft and sweet in this so I hope you like it!

Yu gently parted the curtains of the Dojima’s back window to look outside. He was careful to separate the curtains a crack, only wanting a peek. He’d heard the thunder rumbling for several minutes now, but he wanted to confirm the weather. Sure enough, Yu gazed up into a furiously dark sky. There was no doubt about it, it was going to storm soon. He could practically feel the electricity coursing through the air. It reminded him of how his body felt moments before he unleashed ziodyne spells in the TV world: charged, fearsome, and powerful. 

He stepped away from the curtains and frowned. He was expecting Yosuke to come over, but with this weather he wasn’t sure it was a good idea anymore. Dojima and Nanako were still in the hospital, and while Yu was typically someone that enjoyed his alone time, it felt especially lonely in the house without them. Yosuke and Teddie had been frequently stopping by to cheer him up and eat dinner with him, but this was the first time Yosuke was going to stop by on his own and stay the night. Yu had been anticipating the evening ever since they made the plans two days ago.

Spending time alone with Yosuke was special to Yu. It was no secret that Yu had feelings for Yosuke, well, unless you were Yosuke. His best friend was none the wiser while their entire group suffered the suspense in silence. Yu had been debating whether to confess his feelings for months, but the right time to have such a heart-to-heart with Yosuke had yet to occur. Between the abductions, Dojima’s accident, Nanako’s dungeon, and her near death experience, they already had their hands full. The last thing the investigation team needed was two of their members messing with the dynamic because of feelings Yu could not keep to himself.

When Yosuke had suggested he come over without Teddie for the night, Yu had thought maybe it _meant_ something. Yu sighed and resigned himself to not knowing. It was too dangerous for Yosuke to be out and about in this weather. He pulled out his phone and tried to call him to cancel, but Yosuke didn’t answer. Yu frowned, opting to send him a text, making sure to fill it with frownie faces so Yosuke would understand he wasn’t happy about the cancellation either. While he waited for an answer, he tried to cope with his disappointment by searching the fridge for dinner ingredients. Yosuke had offered to bring dinner, but Yu would have to cook for himself now that they weren’t hanging out.

Yu jumped at the sound of the wind howling outside. Somehow, it reminded him of his scooter which was still parked insecurely on the side of the road. He hurried to change his shoes and rush out the door. It hadn’t started raining yet, but it was so humid Yu felt like he was walking through a swimming pool. The thunder cracked overhead just as he reached the bike. He flinched involuntarily at the loud noise. As a kid, storms had always terrified him, and he often had to quietly cry through them alone. His parents either not home or locked behind their office door that he’d always been instructed not to open. He wasn’t scared anymore, but he couldn’t deny how the situation had him on edge.

Yu rolled the scooter under the car port and covered it with a tarp his Uncle had lying around. Just as Yu was about to hurry inside, he heard a small ‘mew’. He quickly walked back onto the road and saw the three cats he’d befriend recently (he’d named them Aki, Momo, and Katsu), staring at him with needy expressions. Yu practically melted.

Momo was the one who had called to him. She strode towards his legs and began rubbing against him as she purred loudly. Aki and Katsu were quick to join her, looking more skittish than he’d ever seen them. Yu glanced toward the door of the Dojima’s house. He wasn’t sure his Uncle would approve, but…

Without a second thought, Yu had scooped them all up and brought them inside just as the first raindrops had begun to fall. Aki was quick to run underneath the kotatsu, and Yu immediately hurried to turn it off. Momo made herself comfortable on top of the couch, and Katsu took to prowling the kitchen. Yu didn’t have the heart to scold any of them. They were just as scared as he was – er – as he _had_ been when he was young.

Yu pulled out his phone again to see if Yosuke had responded. His inbox was still empty, and it worried him. Yosuke was always attentive to his phone, even when he was working. Yu glanced out through the slit in the curtains. He could make out the raindrops flying down from the heavens through every flash of lightning. The storm had started in earnest. He sincerely hoped Yosuke was at home and safe.

Just as he thought to call him again, he heard a loud crash from outside followed by a garbled shout. Yu threw open the front door to see Yosuke sprawled on the ground, face in the mud, drenched, with his bike on top of his legs. In his hands he was holding a tightly bound plastic bag up from the road.

“Yosuke!” Yu shouted, but he was sure the thunder drowned him out. He hurried over, helping Yosuke to his feet and pulling his bike behind the Dojima’s brick wall.

Once Yosuke was inside, shoes off, with a towel wrapped around his head, Yu expressed his barely contained fury. He finished vigorously wiping the mud off Yosuke’s face with a wet wipe before snapping at his partner. “Yosuke, what were you thinking?” he scolded as he watched Yosuke towel dry his hair. He frowned, clearly unsatisfied by Yosuke’s technique, and began toweling his head for him.

“I thought I could beat the storm!” he protested, wincing at Yu’s pressure, “I didn’t _mean_ to get caught in it. Besides, I’m fine, partner. It’s not a big deal.”

Yu’s frown deepened. “But you could’ve been hurt. I wish you wouldn’t be so reckless.”

“Partner–” Yosuke’s defense was interrupted by a curious ‘meow’. Yu looked down to see Aki staring right at them. He held his breath. Aki had been especially difficult to approach. He was the most skittish out of trio, and Yu had only recently been permitted to hold him. Words could not describe his shock as he watched Aki rush over and butt his head against Yosuke’s leg repeatedly, demanding his attention. When Yosuke dropped down to pet him, Aki purred and practically begged for more.

Yosuke looked up with a knowing smirk. “Dojima-san’s gonna kill you.”

Yu floundered, suddenly feeling bashful. “He doesn’t have to know.” He turned his head, but not so far that he couldn’t see how cute Yosuke looked playing with Aki. He wished he could pull out his phone and take a picture.

Katsu approached Yosuke next, lifting onto his hindlegs to also demand his affection. Yosuke was happy to oblige, but eyed Yu wearily. “Dude! How many cats did you let in?”

Yu blushed. “Um…” That’s when Momo whined from the couch. Yosuke shot him an incredulous look and Yu had no defense. “Three?”

Yosuke stood, despite the protests of the two cats vying for his attention. “I guess that makes us even.”

Yu tilted his head. “How?”

Yosuke smiled, towel still on his head. Yu thought it was unfair how cute he looked like that. “You did something reckless today too.” Yu was speechless which only made Yosuke laugh. Yosuke suddenly shivered, arms shooting up to hug his own body. “By the way, could I borrow a pair of clothes? I’m still pretty wet.”

Yu cursed his distractibility. Yosuke would probably catch a cold if he didn’t change soon. He hurried to bring Yosuke one of his old t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. Yosuke changed near the entrance, insisting that he did not want to drip anywhere else in the home. Yu averted his gaze, face far too warm, as Yosuke changed and handed him his wet clothing. Yu opted to immediately take it to the wash rather than admire how Yosuke looked in his clothes. His heart wasn’t ready.

It still wasn’t ready when he returned to the living room and found Yosuke setting the dining table with the three cats trailing his every step. Yu stumbled backward as though he’d been hit by a powerful blow. Yosuke didn’t seem to notice. He was too busy opening the to-go containers from Aiya’s and resisting the pleas from the curious cats. Yu’s shirt was a little big on Yosuke, he could see some of the boy’s defined collarbone poking out from the stretched collar. The bottom of Yu’s sweatpants were dragging a bit on the floor as Yosuke shuffled about too. It was so sweetly domestic and everything Yu had ever wanted ever. If only…

He shoved his desires down and put on his mask of neutrality as he approached the table. “Thank you for dinner. I know I yelled at you earlier, but I am glad you’re here.”

“I’m glad to be here too, partner. Anyway, dig in! I got your favorite!” Yu desperately fought his blush, opting to turn away from Yosuke’s beaming face and stare at the chopsticks he’d set on the table.

Yosuke’s thoughtfulness never failed to blow Yu away. He truly did not understand why Yosuke’s shoe locker was not constantly filled with love letters. Yosuke was such a wonderful person. He was quick witted, cunning, and kind. Whenever he set his mind to something, he always went above and beyond regardless of how it may inconvenience him. Not to mention his figure, his soft, brown eyes, and his smile were gorgeous enough to leave Yu speechless way too often.

He listened closely as Yosuke talked about his day. Hearing his voice and being able to look at his face while he spoke were two of Yu’s favorite activities. Yu especially delighted in the way they both took turns sharing bits of food with the cats. Yu had honestly never felt more content. 

Well, that was the case until the brightest flash of lightning shone outside, followed by the loudest crack of thunder he’d ever heard. It practically shook the ground. The electricity in the house went out and left them all in darkness. Rather than listen to the rational part of his brain that assured him he was fine, Yosuke was fine, and the cats were fine, Yu panicked and began to hyperventilate. He was suddenly six years old again, wrapped in his blanket, and hiding in his closet to wait out the storm overhead. Not even the chorus of yowls from the cats was enough to wake him from his fear.

Yu’s breathing felt so shallow, like he was gasping just to survive. His fists were clenched tightly and pressed onto the tops of his thighs. His vision was swimming in and out of darkness.

“Partner?”

He whimpered, flinching as another brilliant flash filled the room. The immediate thunder sounded as though it had broken the sky open. Yu felt so alone, so helpless. A hand touched his shoulder and he jumped despite rationally knowing it was Yosuke that had touched him.

Yosuke turned on the flashlight of his phone and set it on the table beside Yu. Yu could see the concern in Yosuke’s eyes as he lowered down to his knees to look at Yu more closely. “Hey. Are you not good with storms?” Yosuke asked, voice as smooth as silk.

Yu’s instinct was to deny it. He wasn’t scared; he’d had years to get over this _and_ they’d faced much worse in the TV world. But another crack of the storm had him yelping and rushing into Yosuke’s body much like Aki’s initial entry into the Dojima household.

“Whoa!”

Yosuke barely caught Yu as he joined him on the floor and clung to his shirt. Yosuke wrapped his arms around Yu and held him tightly as Yu let his face sink into the crook of Yosuke’s neck. It was soothing and perfect and everything his younger self had craved. Security. Affection. Love. _Love?_ The gears in Yu’s head were turning too fast and he could hardly make sense of his thoughts.

“Hey Yu,” Yosuke spoke up, “I’ve got an idea. Do you trust me?” Yu trusted Yosuke with his life. He nodded into Yosuke’s shirt, making him chuckle a bit. “All right. Let’s go to the couch.”

Yosuke pulled Yu to his feet and led him by the hand to the couch. He sat Yu down along with the cats that had followed his every step. Yosuke turned off his flashlight and Yu tensed. He heard Yosuke’s footsteps as they padded over to where the window was and suddenly the curtains were pulled back to fully expose the glass. Yu gasped at the droplets of rain crashing against the panes. He could see the movement of the wind, how angry the sky looked, and the flashes of lightning that seared the clouds.

“Yosuke?” he questioned, alarm rising and getting caught in his throat.

Yosuke swiftly sat beside him, his knees knocking lightly against Yu’s. “When I was a kid, I was scared of storms too,” he admitted with a sheepish look, “It was so scary for me I’d cry the whole time until it was over. To help me get past that, my mom started watching storms with me. Every time I got scared, we would pull back the curtains and sit together until it passed. I thought maybe it could help you too.” The house was dark even with the curtains pulled back, but Yu could’ve sworn Yosuke’s face looked a little pinker than usual.

Yosuke shifted a bit, settling into the cushions and slipping his arm around Yu’s shoulder. Now Yu was certain Yosuke’s face was pink as he stammered, “S-She used to hold me during the storms, so I thought…”

Yu simply leaned in closer and rested his head on Yosuke’s chest. He felt a little guilty for taking advantage of the situation, but Yu knew better than to look a gift horse in the mouth. Yosuke would not have offered something he did not want to do, anyway.

“Thank you, Yosuke.”

“No problem, partner.” Yu could feel his smile in his words.

As the storm raged Yu felt increasingly at ease. With the three cats nestled near or on his lap and Yosuke holding him, it was hard to stay tense. He thought he should try and restore the electricity, but he’d rather lose all the food in the fridge than pull away from this sweet moment. He was so grateful to Yosuke. For so many reasons. It was hard for him to properly describe the depth of his gratitude, but he decided to try. He felt Yosuke should know even if he only managed to scratch the surface of his feelings. 

“When I was a kid, I was often left alone during storms,” Yu confessed, nuzzling further into Yosuke as he spoke. “My parents have always been really busy people, so I became independent younger than most other kids out of necessity. So when I was scared, I was expected to sort through it on my own and that’s what I’ve always done. But this is…really nice.”

He felt Yosuke squeeze him. “You don’t have to be alone anymore.”

Yu smiled at the tenderness in his voice. “I guess you’re right about that.” He paused, lifting his head to shot Yosuke a deadpan look. “But I don’t want you to make a habit of traveling during storms just to be with me.”

Yosuke laughed. “All right, fine! I’ll call if I’m not already here with you.”

There was another flash of lightning and suddenly the way Yosuke was looking at him changed. There was an unmistakable awe in his expression. Yosuke’s eyes were wide and filled with wonder, and his lips had slightly parted. He seemed to unconsciously drift a little closer to Yu as he whispered, “Your eyes look so pretty.”

Yu blushed, completely transfixed by the confession and unsure what to do as Yosuke continued to move even closer. He liked it. He liked it so much. He sucked in a breath as their foreheads touched. The energy in the room seemed to change in an instant. It was heady and charged with something other than electricity. Something that livened every sense in Yu’s body and left him wanting.

The tension of having Yosuke’s lips so close to his soared as soon as Yu felt the warmth of Yosuke’s breath on his skin. He could hardly stand it. Yu opened his mouth and asked, “Did your mom get this close to you?” He inwardly screamed. That was _not_ what he’d wanted to say _at all_.

Yosuke laughed, softly at first but the volume soon rivaled Yukiko’s giggles. Yosuke pulled away and fell back as his entire body trembled with mirth. Seeing how happy he was, Yu couldn’t help but laugh along with him. He’d been aiming for a kiss, but he supposed Yosuke’s joy was a good second best.

“Yu!” Yosuke chortled, “Only you would say something like that.” Yu watched as Yosuke wiped the tears from his eyes. “I tried _so_ hard to build a mood, but y-you just trampled all over it.”

Yu blinked. “A mood?”

Yosuke sighed heavily and rubbed the back of his neck. The color pink was once again dusting his face as he confirmed. “Yeah, a mood.”

Yu struggled to maintain his neutral expression. “Are you saying you had an ulterior motive? You weren’t just helping me out of the kindness of your heart?”

Yosuke grimaced. “Geez. When you put it like that I sound like an ass.”

Yu smiled, diving forward to claim Yosuke’s chest as his own again. “Maybe if you elaborate that’ll change.”

“I-uh maybe arranged to come alone on purpose, and rushed over here in a storm because I didn’t want my plans to be ruined?” Yosuke confessed, looking both adorable and uncertain.

Yu pressed ever closer. Lifting his face so that it could hover near Yosuke’s. “What plans?”

He heard Yosuke gulp. “Plans to confess my feelings.” He squeaked out the last word. Yu nearly claimed Yosuke’s lips as his own then, but he waited. He wanted to hear the confession. He tilted his head, pretending he was confused about what Yosuke meant. Yosuke bristled, clearly over Yu’s teasing. “Don’t play coy with me!”

Yu’s smile was anything but innocent. “Confess what feelings, Yosuke?”

“Now who’s being an ass!” Yosuke cried, but rather than push Yu away he wrapped his arms around him and held him tighter. “I, um, I like you.” He hesitated, looking bashful again before he continued. “Well, it’s probably more than just like you…I think I’m in love with you.”

Yu’s smile widened. There was something so sweet and gentle in the way Yosuke was looking at him. It made his heart flutter with feelings he no longer had to suppress. “I love you too.” His voice came out as a whisper, as though this moment was something sacred and holy. This time Yu leaned in and Yosuke met him halfway in a kiss that was so chaste and soft it made his toes curl.

Yosuke cupped his chin, looking at Yu like he was his entire world. “I don’t know how I got so lucky.”

Yu nuzzled into his hand, much like Katsu was doing to Yosuke’s leg. “Mhm. I wondered the same about you. I’m not sure where I would be without you, Yosuke.”

Yosuke’s face turned scarlet, but he didn’t let go of Yu and Yu couldn’t have been more grateful. He leaned in to kiss him again and Yosuke sighed happily as their lips touched. They would have to discuss their feelings more in-depth later, after all, Yu wanted to know everything. For now, Yu was content to cuddle and kiss and be surrounded by cats. Judging from the look in Yosuke’s eyes as he lowered their bodies into the seat of the couch, Yu suspected the feeling was mutual.


	7. Foggy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Yu has a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Unfortunately, I am going to be without computer access for the weekend so I thought I'd go ahead and post tomorrow's as well. It's pretty short, anyway.

Yu was running, sword in hand, through a fog so thick he could not even see an inch ahead of him. He wasn’t sure where he was or how he’d gotten there. All he knew was that the culprit was there. He could feel their evil presence boring down on him like a weight over his chest that was too heavy for him to lift.

He’d been separated from the rest of the team except for Yosuke. Yosuke was running alongside him, hand interlaced with the one Yu was not using to hold his sword. It wasn’t ideal for Yosuke’s daggers, but they couldn’t afford to lose each other. It was too dangerous.

Yosuke’s hand was suddenly ripped from his. “Partner!”

Yu skidded to a stop, desperately trying to see through the fog around him. “Yosuke! Where are you?” Instead of an answer, Yu heard Yosuke’s pained cry. “Yosuke!”

“Partner,” Yosuke called weakly. “ _Run_ …”

Someone was laughing. It was a woman’s voice. The cackles filled his mind as Yu spun around frantically trying to place the sound or to catch a glimpse of Yosuke. Everywhere he looked was filled with fog; he was practically drowning in it. Yu could feel his heart racing. He could feel sweat beginning to gather in his palms and the sword in his hand felt heavier by the second. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t think. He couldn’t scream.

“Yosuke!”

Yu shot up, drenched in a cold sweat, eyes straining against the darkness of his room. His heart was pounding in his chest and his hands felt rough like they’d just finishing hold the hilt of his sword for several hours. He could see glimpses of the fog outside through the opening in the curtain he’d haphazardly closed earlier in his eagerness to get to his futon. It terrified him. Was that woman out there somewhere laughing at him?

“Partner?” came Yosuke’s groggy voice.

Yu turned, eyes wide with relief, as he watched Yosuke rub his eyes and sit up. Yosuke yawned, brown eyes still glazed with sleep, shirt askew and showing more of his chest than usual. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

Yu didn’t have the words to properly explain. He lunged for Yosuke, pulling him tightly against him and breathing his scent in as deeply as he could. Yosuke gasped and sputtered, arms flailing. “P-Partner, you’re suffocating me!” Yosuke managed to free himself and Yu had to stop himself from reaching out again. Yosuke cupped Yu’s face with both his hands, holding his head gently as his eyes searched Yu’s for an answer. “What’s got you so scared?”

Yu bit his lip, caught off guard by the sudden desire to cry. “I lost you in the fog.”

Yosuke frowned, eyes softening as the understanding washed over him. “I’m right here,” he answered evenly. He pulled Yu’s face to his and kissed him gently. “I’m right by your side where I belong. Right?”

Yu nodded, leaning in for another kiss that Yosuke was quick to give him. The feel of Yosuke’s lips against his own slowed Yu’s heart rate and soothed him more than anything else possibly could. He needed Yosuke like he needed sleep or air. His presence was an equally important necessity for Yu’s peace of mind. He lifted his still shaking hands to the back of Yosuke’s neck to deepen their kiss, allowing himself to savor the warmth and familiarity of his boyfriend’s mouth. 

Yosuke was here. He was alive. There was no reason to worry. The corners of Yu’s lips lifted as their kiss slowed to a few languid pecks. Yosuke pulled away and Yu sighed happily. He ran his fingers through Yosuke’s hair, further instilling his presence into his mind. “Thank you.”

Yosuke’s eyes fluttered shut from the touch. “Mm. You’re welcome.” He managed to open one as he asked, “Think you’ll be able to sleep?”

Yu nodded. “As long as you’re with me.”

Yosuke nodded sleepily, already beginning to drift off again. “Mmkay. Just wake me up if you can’t.” He pulled Yu down to the futon with him, allowing Yu to wrap his arms around him and tangle their legs together. Yu let his eyes close as Yosuke slipped an arm around his back, holding him steady like he always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I won't be here for the official end of Souyo Week, I just wanted to say it's been an honor and a pleasure!! I mentioned earlier it has been a while since I shared any of my work and that I was nervous about it, but I have been overwhelmed by the support I received from all of you, as well as, just how nice everyone seems to be in this fandom/pairing. I was happy to be a part of it and I hope to do it again sometime! I have some Souyo AU's that I've been planning, but I haven't actually started writing them. I'm hoping to give it a shot though because I'm really into the ideas, but I'm also in the middle of writing some original fiction so it might be a while. 
> 
> I don't have any presence at all on social media (besides this and Facebook), but I'll keep my ears perked and if anyone wants to invite me to something I'll do my best to come. I'm honestly a fandom hermit. I'm hella shy and tumblr seems like a beast with people that aren't always nice, but y'all are pretty cool so I think I'm comfortable ^_^ 
> 
> Thank you for reading, giving me kudos, and commenting! This has been a blast and uh I hope everyone has a nice weekend. Stay safe!!! *throws confetti and hearts*


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